The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 356
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356
CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
twice and referred to the Committee of the Tyhole
House.
Mr. TfLDEN, from the Committee on Invalid
Pensions, madfe adverse reports upon the petitions
of Lewis Gordon and Richard Othoudt: laid on the
table.
Mr. CULLOM, from the same committee, made
adverse reports upon the petitions of Amos Daniels,
Thomas H. Brown, William Allen, and James
Maines: laid on the table.
Mr. PRATT, from the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds, made an adverse report
upon the petition for a public clock: laid on the table.
Mr. PRATT, from the same committee, made a
report upon the subject of additional buildings for
the War and Navy departments, accompanied by a
bill for the same: referred to the Committee of the
Whole House to-morrow.
Mr. McDOWELL, from the Committee on Ac-
counts, made a report upon the petition of George
Page for compensation for his machine for cutting
paper envelopes: referred to the Committee of the
Whole House to-morrow.
Mr. BWRKE, from the Joint Committee on the
Library, to which was referred the petition of Thom-
as P. Gordon, reported a joint resolution for sub-
scription for Gordon's Digest: which was read
twice, and referred to the Committee of the Whole
House.
Mr. BURKE, from the same committee, made an
adverse report upon the resolution of the House of
the 19th ultimo, in relation to the purchase of Rus-
sell's planetarium: laid on the table.
Mr. RUSSELL, from the Committee on Invalid
Pensions, made a favorable report on the petition of
Bartholomew Maguire, and asked leave to offer a
bill for his relief.
Leave was granted; and the bill was read a sec-
ond time, and made the order of the dny for to-mor-
"row, and ordered to be printed.
Mr. RUSSELL made adverse reports severally
on the petitions of James Burr, Charl.es Young,
Alexander Jackson, Pamelia Slavin, William Hen-
deisou, Dennis Doyle, and William Newton; all of
which were ordered to be printed, and laid upon the
table,
RHODE ISLAND AFFAIRS.
Mr. BURKE, from the Select Committee, to
which was referred a memorial from the democratic
members of the legislature of Rhode Island on the
late transactions which have occurred in that State,
reported a resolution to confer the power to send for
persons and papers.
Mr. C. JOHNSON opposed the resolution. He
could not consent to give to four or five gentlemen
composing the select committee such an extensive
power; they might send for half the inhabitants of
Rhode Island under such authority; and such pow-
er ought not to be granted to any committee. Let
the committee report to the House the names of the
witnesses they desired to call, and the House would
judge of the necessity of calling them. He ob-
jected to the reception of the resolution.
Mr. BURKE was understood to say that such
powen had been given to other committees; and lie
hoped the House would not yield to the suggestions
of the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mi. CAUSIN said he was a member of the Select
Committee from which thi-s resolution came; but
I.e had not been distinctly aware that there would
be a meeting of the committee this morni g for any
s.uch action; he hoped, therefore, this would not be
considered as Ihe unanimous report of the select
committee; and, for himself, he objected to it, bi-
eauae he cook! not see nothing that could grow out
of it. it proposed no action; and it seemed to him,
irom such a. consideration of the metnoiial as Ills
opportunities had enabled him to make, that the
original direction given to this memorial was inappro-
priate. If he undeistood it, it j.ropescd that this
he should insti'nte an inquiry, anil the House had
sent it tt .> r iYet ':oir.mittee— - ■ do <? To make
a report. Wt,s j; intended ti■ at !he committee should
- hj, ]> :. I' j ll", proposed tO the
ee..e War H ,::t< ndi ■' ■ -■ "ho n.mmiitee should
v ' Uii : ■;'Vt the ;;<:';of the geiitlonif n from [Uiodi
Island to ihcir sl-is? if tljere was any appropri-
ateness. in the constitution ef committees, such a
subject should have btui sent to the Committee of
Elections; and lie should conclude with amotion that
the select committee be discharged from the further
consideration of the subject. He did not, in fact,
know what it was proposed to df>. If he understood
(■he matter, Rhode Island was now a regularly or-
ganized State in this Union, invested with all the
capacity of a sovereign State, ■ and she had been
recognised as such.
Mr. BURKE interposed, and inquired if these re-
marks were in order.
The SPEAKER said the resolution proposed to
send for persons and papers.
Mr. BURKE assented, and inquired if the gener-
al question referred to the select committee could
be discussed under such a resolution.
The SPEAKER replied that the resolution did
hot open the whole merits of the case: it was sim-
ply a resolution to give the committee power to
send for persons and papers.
Mr. CAUSIN. "V es, sir, and I intend to con-
clude by moving, as a substitute for the gentleman's
motion, that the committee be discharged from the
further consideration of this memorial, and that it
be remitted to the House for its action.
The SPEAKER. The gentleman may move
that proposition as an amendment to the motion of
the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. CAUSIN said he would then make that mo-
tion; and one of the reasons which induced him to
do so was, that he did not know what right this
House had to inquire into the organization of a
State. He believed the citizens of the State of
Rhode Island were now in the peaceable enjoyment
' of those rights which the constitution secured to
every individual. What had Congress to do with
the matter? Were they to sit as a high court of ap-
peals for the investigation of errors in the formation
of the constitutions of independent States? Where was
the matter to stop? He certainly thought it a most in-
appropriate and unconstitutional mode of consuming
the time which ought to be devoted to the necessary
business of the nation; producing confusion and col-
lision between parties in that House, some of whom
had exhibited much sensitiveness upon the subject
of State rights. He looked in vain among the dele-
gated and implied powers conferred upon Congress
by the constitution, for any authority to act upon
such a memorial as this. What did it ask Congress
to do? To ask certain questions of the President.
And to inquire into the election of members of Con-
gress from the State of Rhode Island: and for what
purpose. The House had already come to a de-
cision upon that subject. There request came too
late; and it came in an improper form. It was not
such a paper as should be addressed to that House,
calling for its action. Suppose the House were to
go into the investigation: in what would it result'
Nothing—absolutely nothing. And as for the pro-
position to send for persons and papers, who
was to designate what witnesses should be
sent for? It would involve an expense of public
time and money, and be productive of no ad-
quate advantage. He therefore moved that ihe com-
mittee be discharged from the further consideration
of the memorial.
Mr. CRANSTON said, in relation to the course
which should be taken in reference to this memo-
rial, for himself, personally, he felt but littleinterest.
He would be glad, however, of an opportunity to
let the members of the House know a little of the
true history of the position of affairs in Rhode Isl-
and; and if the gentleman from New Hampshire
[Mr. Burke] had no other object in view than
merely to inform the House upon the subject, he
would be disposed to afford him every facility: but
he presumed the gentleman had some other object.
If he had not, however, he (Mr. C.) was pre-
pared to put him in possession of evidence suffi-
cient to satisfy any living honest man that
there was not a shadow of pretence for the noise
which the demociatio patriots had raised, respecting
the question or allegiance in Rhode Island.
Mr. BURKE asked if the gentleman from Rhode
Island [Mi. Craxstox] did not, when this memo-
rial was presented, propose that the committee to
which it was referred should be authorized to send
for persons and papers?
M'\ CRANSTON said he did not; but coming
upon hun by surprise, as the movement of the sen-
tleman from iNew Hampshire did, he was inclined,
and perhaps would, if the gentleman had withdrawn
1 hir. motion for "he previous question, have made
1 tbnr motion. He had no sort of objection that all
tho^e men who \ ot/ ] for Dorr's constitution
should be brought forward to give testimony be-
fore the committee; but he could inform the gen-
tleman that many of those persons whose names
appeared in support of that constitution were in their
graves, and had been for years; that others were
beyond the sea, and had born for years. Where did
the gentleman expect to find these men? Whenever
the gentleman from New Hampshire thought prop-
er to bring the subject distinctly before the House,
he would, if his life should be spared, bring up some
truths which would make the gentleman and his
friends pull their hats over their eyes. He cared not
whether the committee were empowered to send for
persons and papers ornot; he cared not whiat men or
what papers were brought here. He would like to
see the gentleman's friend Dorr himself brought
here, (but he supposed it was not convenient for
him to come just at present,) for all the testimony
which Dorr could give would be against his cause.
They could never draw anything from him except
his wild theories about universal liberty and all that
sort of thing. If his frailties and faults, arising from
his speculative theories, were set aside, he believed
he was honest; he believed, too, that he was in the
right track; and that, if the people had been patient,
he would now have been a member of this House.
The SPEAKER announced that the morning
hour had expired.
ELECTION BILL.
On motion of Mr. CLINGMAN, after some con-
versation as to the order of business, the rules were
suspended for one hour, for the purpose of proceed-
ing with the consideration of the bill to regulate the
time of holding elections for electors of President
and Vice President of the United States.
Mr. C. being entitled to the floor upon this sub-
ject, proceeded to address the House in reply to the
remarks of the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr Dbncan.]
The gentleman, he said, had avowed that his
speech was intended for Buncombe. He (Mr. C.)
happened to live in Buncombe, and he felt it incum-
bent upon him therefore to make some reply to the
gentleman: though he could assure him that if he in-
tended such speeches as he had made for the verita-
ble Buncombe, the people there were rather too
hard-headed to swallow them The gentleman had
disclaimed going minutely into details, and had
dealt chiefly in generals—in wholesale falsehoods.
He would not do more than endeavor to deal in
wholesale facts.
Mr. C. proceeded to controvert the statements of
the gentleman in relation to the comparative expend-
itures of Mr. Van Buren's and the present admin-
istration.
Mr. C. then went on to speak of proscription;
which, he said, he was as much opposed to as any
body: but he denied that it had originated with the
Whig party; it was commenced, he said, in the first
year of General Jackson's administration, and af-
terwards, when the whigs came into power, they
only followed the example set them by a democrat-
ic administration. He next alluded to the subject
of repudiation, and charged that the democratic par-
ty had, instead of denouncing it, defended the States
who had practised it; and observed that the re-
marks of the gentleman from Ohio, on the subject
of morality, came with a bad grace from one of a
party that had sanctioned repudiation. After speak-
ing of the principles of the whig party, he proceeded
with a high eulogium on the character and services
of Mr. Clay, attributing to him the gunus of
Themistocles; the candor and frankness of Cato; the
justice of Aristides, and the eloquence of Tully.
After justifying and defending his vote against the
rule prohibiting the reception of abolition petitions,
he went on to speak of the approaching presidential
election, and predicted the triumphant success of
the whig party.
He next said the whig party had been accused of
an abuse of the franking privilege, by sending forth,
under franks, electioneering documents ana Clay
minstrelsy; but did not their opponents do so too-1
He had been informed that, within the last few
days, 50,000 electioneering documents had been sent
forth in that way by their opponents; and what
were they? Why, accounts of Mr. Clay's duelo,
which were designed to influence the people of Con-
necticut^ and othei easterm States. The intention
was to influence "the land of steady habits;" for
such documents, they thought, were not calculated
i to do than much ^ood in the South' And this was
i done bj >be party of Gen. Jackson—a man who
had fought more duels than ever Mr. Clay did. He
went on for some time, speaking on other kindred
subjects; and when his hour was nearly exhausted
Mr. SCHENCK rose, and asked permission to
submit an amendment.
Mr. RATHBUN also claimed the floor.
Mr. SCHENCK said the gentleman from North
Carolina had not yet yielded the floor; and the gen-
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 1: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2367/m1/380/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.